‘Red tsunami’ overwhelms Alabama Democrats on Election Day
Alabama Republicans crushed Democratic hopes of building on U.S. Sen. Doug Jones’ victory last year, with GOP enthusiasm and support for President Donald Trump overwhelming the Democrats’ rekindled energy. Republicans swept all statewide and contested congressional races on Tuesday, maintaining Alabama’s status as exceedingly tough territory for Democrats. “No blue wave and no blue ripple,” said political scientist Jess Brown. Alabama Democrats entered 2018 with renewed enthusiasm after Jones upset Republican Roy Moore. The special election was something of an anomaly in that it pitted a well-funded Democrat against a polarizing Republican who became additionally wounded by sexual-misconduct claims. But it gave rise to the hope that a Democrat could win again statewide or at least create tight races. That did not materialize Tuesday. Brown said 37-42 percent had been the ceiling for most statewide Democratic candidates in recent years, and they didn’t break “out of that mold.” Unofficial returns show that most statewide Democratic candidates, including gubernatorial challenger Walt Maddox, were kept at around 40 percentage points. Republicans picked up six seats — previously held by Democrats or independents — in the Alabama Legislature, where they already held a lopsided majority. Republicans will hold 77 seats in the 105-member House and 27 in the 35-member Senate, according to unofficial returns. The Democratic losses leave just two white Democrats in the Legislature, one in each chamber. Alabama Republican Party Chairwoman Terry Lathan said a “red tsunami” swept over Alabama. Lathan said an already strong GOP base was energized by the national political landscape. “I do believe this state is so pro-Donald Trump and the conservative policies that he’s implemented, they heard him and they watched him. He was a machine the last month going all over the country. While he might not have been here, we heard his message,” Lathan said. According to AP VoteCast, a national survey of the electorate and nonvoters, a majority of Alabama voters thought the country was on the right track and had positive views of Trump and the national economy. Sixty-one percent of voters in Alabama had positive views of Trump; 61 percent said they approve of how he is handling his job. For 42 percent of Alabama voters, Trump was not a factor they considered while casting their votes. By comparison, 37 percent said a reason for their vote was to express support for Trump, and 21 percent said they voted to express opposition to Trump. Alabama House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels said Democrats need to have a conversation about party infrastructure and brand. “I think right now we just have to have a real heart-to-heart conversation about infrastructure,” Daniels said. Daniels said he believed proposed constitutional amendments to restrict abortion and allow public display of the Ten Commandments also drove Republican turnout on Tuesday. Some Alabama Democrats this summer unsuccessfully pushed for new party leadership, saying the state party wasn’t doing enough to help candidates. “In Alabama, it obviously didn’t turn out the way we had hoped,” Alabama Democratic Party Chairwoman Nancy Worley said. But Worley said the positives included a slate of first-time candidates who gained experience. “The hopeful sign here is we have people who are willing to run. They are talented. They have the right message for progress in our state,” Worley said. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Alabama just elected Kay Ivey, the state’s first-ever Republican woman Governor
Kay Ivey was elected the first-ever Republican woman governor of Alabama on Tuesday, besting her Democratic challenger Walt Maddox. Ivey, who had been lieutenant governor, assumed the position of governor 19 months ago when former-Gov. Robert Bentley resigned amid a growing scandal following allegations he used state resources to cover up an affair he was having with one of his former aides. Tuesday marks the first time Ivey was elected to the position. She gave the following remarks following her victory: The people of Alabama have spoken loud and clear: we want to keep Alabama on the right track and keep Alabama working! It is with immense gratitude that I stand before you tonight as the next Governor of Alabama. I am ever so grateful for your steadfast support, prayers and votes. Together, we have made history: first Republican woman elected Governor, and this is the first time in our history that a Lieutenant Governor has become Governor and then won the election for a full term as Governor. The odds were against me. Some said I would never make it across the finish line, while others claimed I was on my last breath. Well, nothing could be further from the truth! Not only did I finish, we finished very strong. And I am just now getting started! Most of you have seen my tv spot about how “this is as close I will ever be”… dreams are possible in Alabama! The last 19 months have been fast, challenging and rewarding. Working together, Alabama has achieved new heights. But we must not rest on our success. With your help and support, I plan to replicate a proven model over the next four years…our best days are ahead of us. I’ve always said I have one simple goal as a public servant. When I walk away, I want to leave things better than when I started. With your help, we will make Alabama a better place to raise a family, own a home, and create a business. May God continue to bless each of you and the great State of Alabama!”
Republican Kay Ivey trying to fight off Democrat Walt Maddox
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, who was catapulted to the governor’s office last year by scandal, on Tuesday will seek to win the post in her own right and fend off a robust challenge from Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox. The race pits the 45-year-old Tuscaloosa mayor — running on a platform of Medicaid expansion and establishing a state lottery to fund college scholarships — in his first statewide race against a 74-year-old Republican incumbent who has occupied the governor’s office for the last 19 months. Maddox pitched the race as a choice between politicians who are content with the state’s low rankings in education, health care and other indicators and those who think it could be better. “We are at or near the bottom in everything that matters. Corruption seems to be the only thing we seem to be good at in Montgomery,” Maddox said at a recent campaign stop. Maddox said it is “senseless” that Alabama is one of five states without a state lottery. In a state that has seen the shuttering of rural hospitals, he argued that Medicaid expansion would help shore up the state’s health care infrastructure and provide economic and health care benefits to all Alabamians. The Republican Ivey, who had been lieutenant governor, became governor 19 months ago when then-Gov. Robert Bentley suddenly resigned in the middle of an impeachment investigation partly centered on his relationship with an aide. Ivey told voters throughout the campaign that she had restored trust to government and emphasized the state’s record low unemployment and growing economy. “When I took the oath of office some 19 months ago, I told the people right after we would clean up state government. We would restore people’s trust and we would get Alabama working again. Promises made. Promises kept,” Ivey said in a campaign stop in Montgomery. The gubernatorial contest comes as Democrats are seeking to build on last year’s victory of U.S. Sen. Doug Jones but face long odds in a state where it has been 20 years since a Democrat last won the governor’s office. Ivey told supporters on Monday that the polls look good, but they need to go vote Tuesday to ensure a victory. Henryette Bailey, 91, of Montgomery said she is voting for Ivey. “She’s trying to help the people of Alabama,” Bailey said. Bailey recalled how Ivey as lieutenant governor took time to listen to her as she lobbied for a change in state elder abuse law after a family friend was taken advantage of by an attorney Bailey, 91, dismissed concerns that some of Ivey’s challengers tried to indirectly raise about the 74-year-old incumbent’s health. Ivey’s primary opponents challenged each other to release health records. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Ala. Gov: Kay Ivey touts experience, Walt Maddox the need for change
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and challenger Walt Maddox agree the gubernatorial election is about choice. Ivey says the election is about keeping Alabama on the right track. Maddox frames it as a decision to break with the choices that have kept Alabama mired in the past. The race pits the 45-year-old Tuscaloosa mayor — running on a platform of establishing a state lottery to fund education and Medicaid expansion — in his first statewide race against a 74-year-old Republican incumbent who has held three statewide offices. It comes as Democrats are seeking to build on last year’s victory of U.S. Sen. Doug Jones but face tough odds in a state where it has been 20 years since a Democrat last won the governor’s office. The Republican Ivey is seeking to win the office in her own right for the first time. Ivey, who had been lieutenant governor, became governor 19 months ago when then-Gov. Robert Bentley suddenly resigned in the midst of an impeachment investigation partly centered on his relationship with an aide. In her trademark antebellum drawl, Ivey told voters through the campaign that she had restored trust to scandal-battered government. She emphasized the state’s record low unemployment rate and recovering economy, opposition to abortion and support of gun rights. Her campaign ads highlight the governor’s folksy no-nonsense demeanor. During a speech at the University of Alabama football stadium, she used sporting terms to describe the gubernatorial race in in the football-crazed state. “The state of Alabama has won every single game while I’ve been the head coach. ……Unemployment. The budgets. You name it. Heck, if I wasn’t doing a good job I wouldn’t blame them for considering somebody else,” she said. “Who would ever consider somebody who’s never coached a single game at this level to be head coach,” she said taking a swipe at Maddox. Maddox pitched the race as a choice between politicians who are content with the state’s low rankings in education and health care and those who think it could be better. “We are at or near the bottom in everything that matters. Corruption seems to be the only thing we seem to be good at in Montgomery,” Maddox said at a recent campaign stop. Maddox said it is “senseless” that Alabama does not have a lottery. He is proposing to create one to fund college scholarships, pre-kindergarten and other education programs. Alabama is one of five states without a lottery. He said the state’s health care infrastructure for all Alabamians is crumbling with the closure of rural hospitals, “all because we didn’t expand Medicaid.” The campaigns have lobbed a few direct attacks at each other in the closing month. Maddox challenged Ivey to release records after the state’s former law enforcement secretary accused Ivey of a cover-up when she was hospitalized in 2015. Spencer Collier said Ivey’s staff directed the state trooper traveling with her not to tell his bosses about the incident and then retaliated against the trooper when he reported the medical emergency. Ivey denied the accusation and her campaign called Maddox a “lying liberal.” At a restaurant near the Alabama Capitol, college instructor Lillian Russell said she likes Maddox’ support for the lottery, but also likes Ivey. “I don’t understand if most of the continental U.S. has a lottery, why we don’t have a lottery,” Russell said. “I actually like Kay Ivey. She’s a woman. The state is going in a good direction. I just think it was on track anyway. President Obama set the stage for that. They are not giving him enough credit.” Running a confident and risk-adverse campaign, the favored Ivey shunned debates with both Maddox and her primary challengers and has held fewer campaign and media appearances than Maddox. As a Democrat running in a Republican-dominated state, Maddox has acknowledged his underdog status. A former football player at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Maddox sometimes tells the story in campaign stops of a coach using colorful language to urge him to not back off in the face of tough odds. If you are going to mess up, at least do it “wide-A open,” Maddox recalled the coach saying. He said he is approaching the campaign the same way. “We’ve got work to do… but if we are wide open, look out. We are not going to shock ourselves, but we are going to shock the world,” Maddox said. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Alabama receives $3.98M Homeland Security grants for state, local first responders
Governor Kay Ivey on Thursday announced $3.98 million in funding from the Homeland Security Grant Program for state and local first responders to sustain and enhance protection, prevention and response capabilities to prevent terrorism and other catastrophic events. “On both the state and local levels, safety and preparedness remain of high importance year-round. I am grateful to the Department of Homeland Security for providing nearly $4 million in funds to ensure Alabamians are protected and that we are ready to respond in any situation,” Ivey said. “Alabama’s law enforcement and first responders work diligently around-the-clock to protect our state, and these funds will go a long way in helping them do that.” More than $1.8 million was awarded in Alabama to local first responders in a statewide competitive grant process in three categories: interoperable communications, physical protective measures and public warning systems. Additionally, over $900,000 was awarded to the state and local first responders in the Alabama Mutual Aid System (AMAS). AMAS consists of fire services, communication and law enforcement teams specifically trained in search and rescue operations, hazardous materials response, swift-water rescue operations and explosive ordnance disposal response. The remaining funds will be retained for state-level projects. “Governor Ivey continues to show her dedication to first responders in Alabama by working to secure these Homeland Security grants,” added Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Secretary Hal Taylor. “ALEA is pleased that this federal-state partnership will provide these resources to use in all hazard situations.”
Kay Ivey receives coveted BCA 2018 Chairman’s Award
The Business Council of Alabama (BCA) presented Gov. Kay Ivey with its 2018 Chairman’s Award for her for her steadfast support of pro-business initiatives throughout her professional and political career. The award was presented to Ivey by BCA Chairman Perry Hand, chairman of Volkert Inc. in Mobile, at the BCA’s Chairman’s Dinner , which is held each year to support the BCA’s political action committee, ProgressPAC on Tuesday night. “This is indeed a high moment for me,” Ivey said. “This is a very significant award.” Hand said since Ivey took office, more than $8 billion has been invested in Alabama, resulting in 16,000 jobs. Unemployment during her term is the lowest in state history and the number of jobs the highest. “Governor Ivey’s support of a thriving business climate has been key to landing coveted economic projects including the new Toyota-Mazda plant and its 4,000 anticipated jobs to north Alabama,” Hand said. “Governor Ivey supports a business environment which grows tech companies and she continues to be a strong recruiter of companies in the automotive, aviation, and aerospace sectors.” The BCA Chairman’s Award is given to a recipient of the BCA chairman’s choice during the closing months of his or her tenure as the volunteer leader of the statewide business advocacy organization.
Community Development Block Grants awarded to help improve 54 communities statewide
54 Alabama towns, cities and counties were awarded a total of nearly $17.8 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) on Friday by Governor Kay Ivey. The 54 grants will support a number of community improvement projects including water and sewer extensions and rehabilitation, street and drainage improvements, housing rehabilitation and community centers. “The beginning of a better Alabama starts today for many residents who are without clean water to drink or safe roads to drive or suitable housing in which to live,” Ivey said. “I am pleased to award these grants to support vital community improvement projects, and I commend the dedicated local officials who sought these grants with the intent to make their communities better places to live.” CDBG are awarded annually through a competitive process in four main categories including small city, large city, counties and community enhancements. Other categories in this round include Black Belt and planning grants. Award determinations are based on the number of low and moderate-income families affected, urgency of the need and project cost efficiency. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). “As a former mayor whose city has been a recipient of CDBG awards, I can attest to how important this program is to our towns, cities and counties and the difference these grants can make in a community,” explained ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell. “ADECA is pleased to join Governor Ivey in the partnerships that it takes to make these grants come to fruition.” Those awarded grants, grant amounts and projects are: Small City Fund (Municipalities with populations of 3,000 or less) Beatrice – $350,000 for street improvements. Camden – $350,000 for water and sewer improvements. Carrollton – $350,000 for sewer improvements. Cherokee – $314,000 for street and drainage improvements. Detroit – $350,000 for water improvements. Falkville – $350,000 for sewer improvements. Luverne – $350,000 for water and street improvements. Millry – $350,000 for water improvements. New Hope – $350,000 for sewer and street improvements. Oak Grove – $200,000 for sewer improvements. Parrish – $350,000 for street and drainage improvements. Pisgah – $314,900 for water improvements. Rutledge – $350,000 for street improvements. Samson – $350,000 for sewer, water and street improvements. Sumiton – $350,000 for sewer improvements. Toxey – $350,000 for street improvements. Woodville – $350,000 for street and drainage improvements. Vredenburgh – $350,000 for street improvements. Large City Fund (Municipalities with populations of 3,001 or more) Andalusia – $280,000 for street improvements. Demopolis – $450,000 for sewer improvements. Elba – $450,000 for downtown revitalization. Eufaula – $450,000 for housing rehabilitation. Haleyville – $450,000 for sewer, water, drainage and street improvements. Hamilton – $450,000 for sewer, water, street and drainage improvements. Jacksonville – $429,713 for sewer improvements LaFayette – $450,000 for water improvements. Piedmont – $450,000 for sewer improvements. Roanoke – $359,487 for street improvements. Talladega – $450,000 for sewer improvements. Tuskegee – $450,000 for water and street improvements, and demolition and revitalization. County Fund (applies to 65 Alabama counties with Mobile and Jefferson counties receiving CDBG funds directly from HUD) Baldwin County – $350,000 for water improvements near the Lillian community. Hale County – $350,000 for water improvements in the Akron area. Madison County – $300,000 for water improvements east of Huntsville. Marshall County – $350,000 for street improvements on several county roads. Monroe County – $350,000 for water improvements west of Frisco City. Montgomery County – $350,000 for housing rehabilitation in Eastwood Villa. Sumter County – $350,000 for water improvements north of Cuba. Washington County – $350,000 for water improvement in the Fruitdale area. Community Enhancement Fund (municipalities of all sizes and 65 Alabama counties for projects addressing quality of life issues.) Akron – $250,000 for sewer improvements. Autaugaville – $250,000 for a new senior center. Barbour County – $250,000 for a new fire station in the Texasville community. Billingsley – $250,000 for town park improvements. Blountsville – $250,000 for sewer and street improvements. Blue Springs – $185,000 for water improvements. Butler County – $250,000 for courthouse renovations/handicapped accessibility. Cottonwood – $250,000 for street improvements. Dozier – $247,510 for demolition and clearance. Enterprise – $250,000 for demolition and clearance. Lauderdale County – $202,569 for a new senior center in the Greenhill community. Lisman – $182,771 for street improvements. Midway – $250,000 to convert a school into a community center. River Falls – $250,000 for street improvements. Black Belt Fund (municipalities and counties within a 12-county Black Belt region.) Selma – $450,000 for drainage improvements. Planning Fund (awarded to guide municipalities in orderly growth, revitalization or development.) Piedmont – $40,000 Skyline – $35,000
Ivey should support a state lottery, then play it: she’s one lucky lady
The fact is Kay Ivey likely would not have been touchable at all this election cycle by anyone in the state; her popularity is just that high. People were so ready for Governor Robert Bentley to be gone by the time he finally resigned that Ivey’s quiet and calm demeanor have been a God-send. His failures, personally and professionally, made her one lucky woman who slipped into the governor’s race with ease. Her luck continued when her primary race was anything but a race. That luck for her however might have cost the rest of us. If she had drawn a true challenge, if her primary opponents had taken the time to do the same level of opposition research that Walt Maddox has started pushing out in the last two weeks then maybe she could have been forced into a debate or at least some have a reason to rethink the direction of her office, the way its been run since her days as Lt. Governor and the way it is being run now. The steady drip of information, documents, and statements against and about her and her staff have been damning. The questions posed aren’t about partisan politics or even the election; they go right to the heart of the type of administration Ivey is running versus the type she has repeatedly promised the state to run. Let’s look at the questions we’re left with at the moment based on just the three stories reports coming from the Maddox campaign. Imagine if they had come from a Republican instead while conservative voters were paying attention: Did Ivey and her staff lie to the media and public about her Colorado hospitalization? Did Ivey and her Chief of Staff Steve Pelham have a state trooper reassigned for his refusal to lie and/or cover up the events of Colorado? Did the governor and her staff purposefully evade public records laws by using personal email addresses for state business while she was LG? Are they still using these email addresses? Who set up the governor’s fake (alias) email address and when and how much state business has been conducted using said email? What budget transfers have been made beyond the transportation to court diversions that the Maddox campaign highlighted today? The people of Alabama deserve more answers and accountability than what we’re getting right now. Luckily for Ivey and her team they can point to these reports as election shenanigans and most of the base will see that the questions are a result of Maddox releases and dismiss them based on that. Again, that Ivey luck. I don’t think we’re going to get full answers with defensive staff who are more interested in protecting their power and her reputation than the people. When Ivey took over from disgraced Robert Bentley, she promised accountability and transparency. In the last week and a half, the Walt Maddox campaign has brought forth questions that I hope lead to: a new way of doing business in the Governor’s office, some serious internal investigations and some true changes. Will it? That remains to be seen but it’s going to take more than Maddox raising the questions to get there so here’s looking at you conservatives who turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to the Bentley scandals until it was too late. Will you call on Ivey to make real changes and give real answers or will you just sit back and wait for the inevitable train wreck that’s coming?
Kay Ivey awards Alabama’s Recreational Trails Program $2.7 million for enhancements
Alabama’s outdoor recreational opportunities will soon increase thanks to $2.7 million in grants awarded by Governor Kay Ivey. The funds will help expand or build trails or trail amenities at 10 sites in Alabama to enhance recreation outlets. An additional grant will provide equipment for improving state trails. “Alabama is a land of bountiful natural beauty, and our state and local trails are a means to experience and enjoy that outdoor splendor,” Ivey said. “I am pleased to award these grants, and I encourage everyone to enjoy these and any of the many other trails in our state.” The grants were awarded from funds made available to the state from the Federal Highway Administration’s Recreational Trails Program, which was was created in 1998 to assist in acquiring, developing or improving trail and trail-related resources and areas such as walking, jogging, cycling, skating, backpacking, off-highway vehicle and horseback riding trails. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) administers the program in Alabama. “Trails come in many forms and magnitudes, but they provide character and so much more to our communities,” added ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell. “I join with Gov. Ivey in commending those who work so diligently to make these recreational outlets available for all to enjoy.” Below are the grants Ivey award: Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: $109,600 to construct new footbridges and other improvements at the Walls of Jericho tract in Jackson County. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: $34,400 to purchase trail construction and maintenance equipment to be used on state lands properties. City of Scottsboro: $418,497 to expand the Goose Pond Colony boat ramp to eight lanes, including making it accessible to people with limited mobility and expanding a boardwalk to increase public fishing availability. Town of Section: $156,257 to provide parking and restrooms at the 13.5-acre Weatherington Park that is situated on a bluff overlooking the Tennessee River in Jackson County. City of Guntersville: $320,000 to extend the Guntersville Trail enabling people to walk, run or bike from downtown Guntersville to along the Tennessee River waterfront. Cullman County Commission: $291,294 to construct a bathhouse/restroom facility at Stony Lonesome OHV Park. City of Valley: $277,200 to repair and resurface the 6.9-mile-long, multi-purpose Chattahoochee Valley Railroad Trail and install amenities like fencing and benches. Alabama Historical Commission (Old Cahawba Archaeological Park): $400,000 to build a multi-use concrete trail at Old Cahawba in Dallas County, connecting many of the park’s main features; building an equestrian trail and constructing additional bathrooms. City of Luverne: $90,772 to resurface an existing asphalt walking trail at E.L. Turner Park as part of an overall renovation of the facility. City of Andalusia: $400,000 to acquire a 16-mile-long abandoned railroad line for conversion into the multi-purpose Wiregrass Trail Corridor connecting four Covington County municipalities. City of Daphne: $210,205 to construct a wooden boardwalk connecting several trails at Village Point Park.
Walt Maddox wants Kay Ivey to release medical records, suggests cover-up
Alabama gubernatorial challenger Walt Maddox is asking Governor Kay Ivey to release more information on her 2015 hospitalization, including if her office told the state trooper accompanying her to keep it secret. Maddox said in a press conference today, the issue is not Ivey’s health, but if there was a “cover up”. Maddox said voters need to know if Ivey “can be trusted.’ Ivey is disputing allegations by former law enforcement secretary Spencer Collier. Collier says the trooper said an Ivey staffer directed him not to tell his bosses. Collier said Ivey asked to have the trooper reassigned. Collier says the trooper reported she had a mini stroke. Ivey says she had altitude sickness. Ivey’s campaign said Maddox is pushing “last second lies” because he is trailing. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Jim Zeigler: Change from Robert Bentley to Kay Ivey ‘removed a dark cloud over Montgomery’
Speaking to the Republican Women of Coffee County on Wednesday, State Auditor Jim Zeigler said the resignation of former Gov. Robert Bentley “removed a dark cloud over Montgomery.” He told the group he could see a real difference when Ivey took over in April 2017 after what he deemed to be “Bentley’s forced resignation.” “During the two years I served with Gov. Bentley, I was never allowed inside the governor’s offices,” said Zeigler. “Once Kay Ivey took over, I was inside the governor’s offices six times in just the first two months, working with her staff on issues.” Zeigler had been a consistent critic of Bentley. He had filed the first ethics complaint against him in March 2016. After a year of investigation, the commission found probable cause that Bentley was in violation on multiple counts. That ruling came April 10, 2017. Five days later, Bentley resigned on April 10, 2017. He urged the group not to take the Nov. 6 for granted and be “too confident.” That not going to vote would be “the quickest way to lose an election.”
In governor’s race, issues of age, health and forthrightness
Gubernatorial challenger Walt Maddox’s introductory television ad aimed to convey crucial details to voters. He described rebuilding tornado-ravaged Tuscaloosa as the city’s mayor and called his politics “pro-life and pro Second Amendment.” He also emphasized his age. “I’m Walt Maddox. I’m 45 years old,” Maddox said at the ad’s start. In Alabama’s race for governor, the issue of age and health has awkwardly rippled as an undercurrent as the 74-year-old incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey faces the 45-year-old Democrat. In the GOP primary, Ivey’s younger male opponents challenged each other to release their medical records and said the state needed a governor with energy and stamina while simultaneously maintaining that they weren’t directly questioning Ivey’s health. The undercurrent — and along with it accusations of secrecy and malfeasance — burst to the surface Tuesday. The state’s former top law enforcement officer came forward with claims that Ivey was hospitalized for stroke-like symptoms during a state trip three years ago and that her office directed the trooper not to tell superiors. Ivey adamantly denied the accusations, saying she had altitude sickness and releasing a letter from her doctor. Spencer Collier, who served as the state’s top law enforcement officer at the time, told The Associated Press Tuesday that the trooper traveling with then-Lt. Gov. Ivey reported to his commanding officer that Ivey developed stroke-like symptoms during the trip and had a transient ischemic attack. “The trooper noticed that she was incoherent and made the decision to transport her to the emergency room,” Collier said. “Initially, I was told when they brought her to the hospital it was stroke-like symptoms. In the following days we were briefed it was a TIA,” Collier said. TIA is shorthand for transient ischemic attack. According to the American Stroke Association, a transient ischemic attack is a temporary blockage of blood to the brain, caused by a clot or blockage and is sometimes referred to as a mini-stroke or warning stroke. During the 2015 incident, Collier said the trooper also reported that Ivey’s chief of staff, Steve Pelham, had directed him “not to tell anyone, including his chain of command.” Collier said Ivey also later asked to have the trooper reassigned. Collier said he was not attacking Ivey’s health, noting he himself had health problems. He said he was more concerned about the instructions to the trooper to hide the matter. “Don’t take it lightly when you instruct troopers not to tell the truth,” Collier said. Pelham now serves as Ivey’s chief of staff in the governor’s office. Ivey told reporters Tuesday evening that she had “altitude illness” and released a letter from her doctor. “The letter I released today from my doctor clearly confirms what I’ve been saying all along that I’m in good health,” Ivey said. Dr. Brian Elrod said he was aware of the hospitalization and examined her a day after her discharge. “During my examination I saw no evidence of a transient ischemic attack and learned that the extensive work-up done at the Denver hospital, including an MRI, a carotid ultrasound and labs were all negative,” Elrod wrote. The letter did not say how long she was in the hospital. Elrod said he could not confirm what condition led to the hospitalization, but said he considers Ivey to be low risk for a cardiovascular event. Ivey spokesman Daniel Sparkman disputed the claim that the trooper was told not to tell his superiors. “The answer is: No… Besides, there was nothing to cover up,” Sparkman wrote in a text message. Collier said he would be willing to take a polygraph to show he is telling the truth. He said the matter was also reported to the division chief over dignitary protection and then-Gov. Robert Bentley. Bentley did not respond to a message seeking comment. Efforts to reach the division chief and trooper were unsuccessful. The two campaigns took swipes at each other. “Like most Alabamians we were shocked to learn that Governor Ivey possibly had a stroke and attempted to cover it up. We are examining all the available information and Walt will have more to say very soon,” the Maddox campaign said in a statement issued Wednesday. Ivey on Tuesday blamed the Maddox campaign for the Collier accusation. “It’s plum sad that Mayor Maddox’ campaign is pushing this issue out just three weeks before an election,” Ivey said. “It makes me have to assume Mayor Maddox is desperate because his liberal record is not connecting with Alabamians,” Ivey said. Throughout the primary, Ivey has alternately bristled to questions about her health or responded with folksy humor that age brings wisdom. In a speech at the University of Alabama’s football stadium, she suggested her experience was a good thing. “The state of Alabama is looking for a head coach. I’m the only person applying for the job who has actual experience coaching at this level,” Ivey said, adding “who would ever consider somebody who’s never coached a single game at this level to be head coach,” Maddox in similar football-themed retorts has suggested the state would fire a coach with the state government’s record. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
